I now everyone is thinking trenches right now, but at safety Bell is a FA and Stone is in the last year of his contract.  We've all seen the physical limitations of these two and Battle.  Anderson and Anthony are more athletic but they haven't seen the field much outside of special teams.
It's not clear that either of these guys will be available when we pick in round 2, but ..
Xavier Watts Notre Dame is more of a Bates type; a converted WR roaming center or right center field with the ability to quickly recognize coverages and come up quickly when needed to cover the run.  Watts plays mostly single high safety.
Nick Emmanwori S. Carolina is more like Cam Chancellor (or David Fulcher for Bengals Old-timers), a 6-4 230 lb converted high school MLB who is an amazing athlete (though I wonder about his short shuttle change of direction) who is very good in coverage and an enforcer when he gets near the line.  Emmanwori plays mostly quarters coverage.
Both were team captains.  

Who do you think is the better fit for the Bengals?

I am a huge Watts fan. He is a sure tackler, fast and using his WR skills to intercept passes. The problem is he likely is not there in round 2 and round 1 may be a reach.

I think we will know more after FA signings on who (position) Bengals will target in round 1. I don't disagree safety should be considered.

(Yesterday, 09:08 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I am a huge Watts fan. He is a sure tackler, fast and using his WR skills to intercept passes. The problem is he likely is not there in round 2 and round 1 may be a reach.

I think we will know more after FA signings on who (position) Bengals will target in round 1. I don't disagree safety should be considered.

Are you sure? They have him at #58 on the consensus big board with Emmanwori at #39.

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/big-boards/2025/consensus-big-board-2025

(6 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: Are you sure? They have him at #58 on the consensus big board with Emmanwori at #39.

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/big-boards/2025/consensus-big-board-2025

Fair enough NOW, but you know things can move dramatically after the combine.

And, of course, not because of the combine workouts but because the players get equal eyes on them for the first time.

(5 hours ago)Stewy Wrote: Fair enough NOW, but you know things can move dramatically after the combine.

And, of course, not because of the combine workouts but because the players get equal eyes on them for the first time.

Watts is playing in the NCG.  I don't think he is some hidden gem that teams are unfamiliar with.

Personally, I would rather dip into a pretty deep FA S class than go into the draft focused on one. If a S is the BPA and there's value, obviously I would be fine going in that direction.

Sure, Bell is a FA and Stone is in a contract year, but Ossai, Sample, Hill, and Tufele are all UFA's and Hubbard and Rankins are serious cut candidates.

(5 hours ago)Whatever Wrote: Personally, I would rather dip into a pretty deep FA S class than go into the draft focused on one.  If a S is the BPA and there's value, obviously I would be fine going in that direction.  

Sure, Bell is a FA and Stone is in a contract year, but Ossai, Sample, Hill, and Tufele are all UFA's and Hubbard and Rankins are serious cut candidates.

I also believe free agency is going to have to be used a good bit to get this team where it needs to be. For example free agent guard, def. tackle, and safety. We've got to many holes to fill to just draft everybody.

(6 hours ago)SunsetBengal Wrote: Are you sure? They have him at #58 on the consensus big board with Emmanwori at #39.

https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/big-boards/2025/consensus-big-board-2025

Are we ever sure where any players ranked from 25 to 75 will be drafted? I see this big board changing on Watts before the draft.

My prediction is he goes during the draft process the next few months. In the end, I see him going in late round 1 or top 10 in round 2. I may be dead wrong; it won't be the last time.

FYI - ESPN rankings
https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable/_/position/s

Emmanwori at #24 and Watts at #36

Starks at #12

(5 hours ago)Whatever Wrote: Watts is playing in the NCG.  I don't think he is some hidden gem that teams are unfamiliar with.

I guess I missed where these consensus big boards are created by NFL teams.

In the end, we will see if a team thinks Watts is better than the pundits predict after he is drafted.

Obviously all-star games and the combine will be heavily weighted as the Bengals assemble their board. I expect Emmanwori to be more highly ranked on public Boards based on size/speed combo. However, when faced with this alternative during a mock draft I was honestly unsure how to proceed. My first instinct was to choose Woods based on play recognition and play-making, but Emmanwori could counter the 'soft' reputation that the Bengals have developed. Who is the better fit for the Bengals?